[Would you like to attempt your first quest?]
The system notification flashed before his eyes again.
Upon seeing it for a second time, Max shut his eyes tight, just to make sure what he was looking at was actually real.
After all, he did hit his head pretty hard, died, and somehow came back to life.
At this point, an angel could descend from the ceiling, and Max would not question it in the slightest.
'A quest?'
[Correct.]
[Upon completing various quests, you will be offered rewards in accordance with the difficulty of each task.
Should you reject a quest, a new one will not be offered until a full month has passed.]
There was a brief stretch of silence, filled only by the soft sound that left Jade's lips as she shifted to the side, settling deeper into her sleep.
'Is this like some kind of game?'
That was the first question that came to mind.
The entire interface of the system looked like something straight out of a video game. Then again, he had never actually played one before.
More like he could never even afford the most basic ones.
[Correct.]
[One might consider this to be a video game of sorts.]
[This system exists to improve you as a human being, by pushing you to level up beyond the point where you have allowed yourself to stagnate.]
Before he even considered letting the conversation go on any longer than it already had, Max slowly lifted his hand and tried to touch the screen.
It was then that he noticed his fingers passed straight through the glowing surface, as though a hologram were playing right in front of him.
Out of sheer confusion, Max let out a quiet chuckle.
'So you are telling me right now that if I complete a bunch of quests you give me, I will somehow receive rewards from you?'
[Correct.]
[You were chosen.]
'...'
Max sighed internally.
'What type of rewards are we talking about here?'
[For starters.]
[Am I permitted to proceed with the detailed explanation?]
'I guess...'
[Command has been received.]
[Presenting the host's stats as of this moment.]
[Strength: 3
Agility: 2
Intelligence: 7
Charisma: 1
Stamina: 1.]
Max stared at the screen for a good while. It was essentially a stat reading of himself, laid out just like in every video game he had ever seen advertised but could never afford to play.
[Upon completing quests, rewards will vary, ranging from in-game skills, money, items, and even special features that the average human could never dream of possessing.]
'This is a little too crazy... I really must have hit my head harder than I thought. Alright then, I will play along. What is this supposed quest you would have me do?'
Max asked the question with a hint of confidence, mostly as a way to convince himself that this entire thing had to be some kind of elaborate prank his brain was pulling on him.
[Quest: A Run Around the Mile.
Description: You are too slow to do anything worthwhile. Run a mile before the day ends and receive your reward upon completion.]
[Do you accept this quest?]
'...'
He thought about it for a while.
Never had he run in years.
Hell, he could not even remember the last time he had broken into anything faster than a walk. That said, he had always been walking to school every single day since he could never afford transport like most of the other students.
So it was not like his legs were completely useless.
'I should be able to do this if I accept. That said, I do not think I--'
[The word "accept" has been recognized.]
[Quest is now active.]
'What?! How am I supposed to run an entire mile today? That is like fifteen minutes of moving my legs constantly! I do not think I can pull that off!'
Unlike earlier, the system had gone completely silent on him. Not a single word, not a single glow.
And just when it seemed like matters could not get any worse, Jade finally woke up from her sleep.
Max froze, caught off guard by how quickly she raised her head just to look at him.
The moment she noticed he was awake, even before he was able to say a single word, she lifted herself from the bed and immediately moved closer to get a better look at him.
She also instinctively placed both her hands on his cheeks, cupping them gently, which of course made Max's entire body tense up.
After all, that was the first time a woman other than his mother had ever touched him so comfortably.
"J-Jade..." he stammered, his voice barely holding together.
For a good second, all Jade did was stare at him, her face turning softer and more emotional with each passing moment.
Even if she had not seen everything from the very start, she had seen him lying on the ground, motionless, covered in blood, while the other students told her he was dead.
They had even mentioned how shocked they were to find that he was still breathing, especially after how much blood he had lost in that short span of time.
So right then, looking into his eyes, all she could see was a miracle.
A miracle that had somehow saved not just her, but his mother too, from having to live in a world where he no longer existed.
Because even if she never acknowledged it any more than she needed to, Jade understood something most people refused to accept.
In this world, for the main character to truly shine, someone had to play the background role. And that was the unfortunate part Max had been cast in for his entire life.
Looking into his eyes, she uttered with a small, sad smile.
"I am glad you are alive."
There was nothing Max could say, since he was still trying to understand why her soft hands were still pressed gently against his cheeks.
After a while, she too realized this.
"S-sorry~"
She quickly pulled her hands away, her face turning red as she looked off to the side.
"It is fine. You were worried about me. Sorry I stressed you out."
While he could still feel the lingering warmth of her ever so soft and gentle hands against his skin, another matter forced his attention elsewhere.
"Listen..." his eyes drifted toward the ceiling, "please keep whatever happened here from my mother. I can just tell her I fell down the stairs. I do not want her having to worry about something like this."
Jade's eyes widened slightly, because she had indeed planned on telling his mother about the entire incident the moment she got the chance.
"Why? How long do you want this to keep happening? Do you not see it? These people will not stop. Not until something finally brings justice to--"
"I know." Max cut her off, his voice calm but firm.
"I think I am more aware of that fact than anyone else. But even more so, I do not wish to worry my mother any more than I already have. I will think of something, on my own terms."
Finding the strength, he managed to sit upright, though he still did not look directly at Jade. Instead, his eyes stayed fixed on the ground beneath him.
"And I think you should keep your distance as well. At least on school grounds. I would hate for you to get caught up in my mess."
He looked at her and smiled.
"If anything, school life should be enjoyed, not endured. So focus on that. I can take care of myself."